Collapsible drinking-cup.



E. H. FORNEY.

GOLLAPSIBLE DRINKING OUP.'

ArPLIoA'rIox FILED um. ze, 1909.

andan,

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

E. H. PORNBY.. GOLLAPSI DRINKING OUP.

APPLIOATIO ED AUG. 28, 1909.

Patented Apr. 4 1911.

2 8EEBTS-SBEET 2.

ling cups, or

l UMTED STAT-Es PATENT vormen.

.EDWARD HANNA FORNEY, I0F DENVER, COLORADO.

y coLLArsIBLE DRINKING-cur.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

Application inea August 2s, i909. serial No. 515,035.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EpwAnD HANNA Fenner, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Drinking-Clips; and I do declare the following to'be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and ilse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon` which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to temporary drinkthose designed to be used but once and afterward thrown away, my object being to provide a collapsible device of this character, composed of' such cheap material as to make the foregoing practice inexpensive.

My improved cup is so constructed that its bottom is devoid of, a supporting area, thus making it impossible for the cup to maintain an upright position, except when supported from the sides, as when held in the hand of the user. It is constructed of some reasonably stiff material which, however, may be folded without breaking and which iiorilially assumes a .flat or collapsed position, being maintained in the collapsed form by va wirespring composed of two members applied to the opposite sides of the cup, their extremities protruding beyond the cup and forming bearing parts for .the thumb and finger, -whose pressure causes the cup to open,

spring acting upon when it is desired to use the same. As soon as the pressure is released, the force of the the opposite sides of the cup causes it to collapse immediately.4

Having briefly outlined my improved construction. I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing: Figure 1l is a plan view of a blank from which my improved cup is made. Fig. 2 is'a perspective view of the com leted cup, shown open andcontaining li uid. Fig. 3 is a view of the blank after fo ding and fastening the two side flaps. Fig.' 4 shows the cup after folding and securiilg the bottom flap. Fig. 5 is a similar view,

showing the spring wire in place, before folding the upper part downwardl to hold the wire. Fig. 6 is a detail view o lthe wire spring forming a part of the cup.

r1`he same reference characters indicate the same partsin all the views.

Referring to Fig. 1, the blank A BI U D E from which the cup is formed, is to be cut from some flexible material adapted to fold and bend readily' without breaking. It should be' sutiiciently impervious to water to cause the cup to hold its contents without softening or leakage for a reasonable length of timc Vegetable parchment paper will be suitable for'tllepurpose, though it is evident that the invention is not limited to any particular material. Said blank A. B C D forms the shell or wall of the cup when folded along the lilies a 1/ and Z1 y', and connected along the edges A C and B D with a suitable glueor cement, as shown in Fig. 3.

Tn Fics. 1 and 3 to 5. inclusive, the diagonal shading indicates the surfaces to which the adhesive substance is to be applied in manufacturing the cup. The lower extremities of the longitudinal folding lines terminate at points 1/ y instead 0f m', and form small triangles c :1f y and d a" y', which serve to reinforce the corners made during the next folding act.

Fig.. t is a view of the cup with the wall or shell completed by folding the edge B D over the edge A C. the side flaps 5 being folded on the dotted lilies 6, and the bottoni flap i: being folded on the dotted line 8 and fastened along its edges to the wall of the cup, by means of suitable 'glue or cement to close the bottom of the receptacle.

As shown in the drawing, the spriilg 10, forming a part of my improved device, is composed of two members, havin slightly separated parallel parts 12, twisteif together at their extremities, as Showli at 13, the ends of the members extending beyond the twist and formed into forked bearings 14, against which the thumb and finger of the user bears when opening the cup for filling purposes. The rough extremities of the wire members are turiled back upon the protruding portions or bent down thereon, as shown at 15,

ing surface.

After the spring is formed, as shown in l Fig. 6, the cup in the form shown in Fige 4,

is passed into the space 16, between the parts 12, the spring being located at the top of the cup and just below the narrow portions 17, above the dotted lines 18 in Figs. 3 and 4, these dotted lines being also shown in Fig.`

1. rlhe parts 17 are then turned downwardly covering the parts 12 of the sprlng and are sealed against the opposite 'walls of the cup, thereby forming pockets for the wire parts l2, whereby the spring 10 1s retained in position, as illustrated -in F ig. 2.

In opening the cup for illing purposes, it is only necessary for the user topress upon vthe forked bearing portions of the spring, as illustrated in Fig. 2. This pressure will cause the parts 12 of the s ring to bow outwardly, causing the top o the'cup to open, giving it an oval shape, or a shape approaching the circular form, depending .upon the degree of pressure applied.

It will be ,noted that oneof'th'e 4objects soughtl in the construction ofthis drinking cup-iste avoidthe 4use of a bottom, or stand, uponwhich-'itmight rest. Were'it thus provided, it mightbeleft standing near a drinking fountain, or other source of water v supply others.

.and thus induce a `seconduse-by must be thrown away.

The object of the spring-is to form-.a reinforcement to hold the cupfflat-in packages,

or 1n dispensing or vending machines and to siiienits upper edge and prevent 1t from kinlnngwhclr placed against the lips. The

spring also serves as a means to hold the top ofthe cup closed, and to distend, or open it when pressure is applied to its bearing extremity, as heretofore explained.

The yupper edge of the blank is provided with VV-shaped recesses F, yto facilltate the operation of folding the parts 17, which form the .pockets forretaining the spring in place.

Without any area to., rest,` upon, it,`

esente posed of two parallel members, the extremities of the two members being vtwisted together and formed intonger rests, for the purpose set forth.

4. A blank for a drinking-cup composed of an integral piece of material having a 'central body member, side iaps separated therefrom by longitudinal folding lines whose upper extremities terminate in V- shaped recesses,nd a bottom flap separated from the body of the blank byl a transverse `folding line intersecting the longitudinal lines, and yhaving reinforcing triangular areasl extending` beyond the intersection of v,thelongitudinal and transverse folding lines, for Vthe purposev set forth.

5. A blank foradrinki'ng-cup, ,composedv of a'n integral piece omaterial having a central body member, side flaps, a bottom Hap and-'triangular areas extending beyond j the body'and` iiap members and adapted to -fold inward at the oppositev bottom corners of the cup for reinforcing purposes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereo alix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

lEDWARD HANNA FORNEY.

lVitnesses z A. J. OBRIEN, Jnssi'n F. HOBART. 

